Miss Parker looked around the premises. Inspecting every crack and nook. "Fine, I'll take it," she tells her realtor, blowing her cigarette smoke into the poor man's face.

She needed to be away from everyone and everything. This was the perfect setting, perfect getaway. "No more "daddy, Lyle, Broots, Sydney and definitely no more chasing around that lab speciman."

Parker filled the tub with bubbles, dropped her robe onto the floor and slipped in listening to soft music, her eyes closed enjoying the moment of tranquillity. She could stay like this forever. No worries, no assignments, no "Jarod."

Jarod was exhausted from his day of pretend. Walking quietly into his bedroom, he sat on his bed, pulled off his boots, unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off of his shoulders. Unzipping his jeans, he looks out of his window and notices a light in the house at the top of the hill. Since he's been there, for the last several months, no one had ever occupied the place.

"New neighbors," he tells himself delightfully.

She smiles to herself and her surroundings. "Peace and quiet." This is what life should be. No demands from anyone at The Centre. Miss Parker stood out on her deck enjoying the fresh air and caught a glimpse of the man down the hill sitting outside on his front porch.

"Neighbors! I'll stay on my side and you stay on yours," she mumbles to herself.

"What?" She barked as Miss Parker answered her cell phone late one night.

"Miss Parker, hello."

"I'm on vacation, my labrat. Whatever you have to say can wait."

"On vacation, Miss Parker? When one does not want to be disturbed, one should not answer their phone calls. Have you ever heard of the off button?"

"Oh, like this?" Laughing to herself, she hangs up on him. "Thanks for the idea, wonderboy." She yells out loud to herself.

"Bright idea, genius," he curses himself.

She was curious about her lone neighbor. At precisely eight o'clock every evening, she'd hear the sound of his car. It was a routine for him, his living room lights would go on, then another one, she assumed was his bedroom and another. Maybe the bathroom? She wondered what line of business he was in and if he ever got lonely on this quiet side of civilization.

Miss Parker takes her daily walk around her area but had decided to go a little further, taking a hike down the hill on a late Saturday afternoon. She had read once that exercise was good for the heart and soul. A sudden downpour caught her in the middle of nowhere. She ran to the closest shelter which was her mystery neighbor's house.

Running up to the porch, cussing to herself, she practically stumbled up the stairs. Due to the heavy rain, Miss Parker did not hear him drive up. Her back was turned away from him, her clothing wet, her hair drenched, she knocked repeatedly on the door.

He walked up behind her. "Hello, can I help you?"

She turned and smiled politely, but her facial expression changed suddenly. "Jarod! Jarod!" She repeated.

"Well, howdy neighbor." The look of surprise came across his face, but at the same time smiling from ear to ear.

She hit him hard on the arm. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you, too, Miss Parker. This is my house. I could say the same to you. What the hell are you doing here?" Jarod thought for a bit. "So, you're that new neighbor up on the hill. Heard about you."

"What? What about me?"

"The realtor says you're probably running away from something or someone."

"As you can see, Jarod, I'm soaking wet and so are you! Never mind chit chatting! Are you going to let me in or not?"

"Depends. Are you going to shoot me?" He asked, taunting her.

She jiggled the knob on the front door. "I'll catch my death of cold!"

"Good! Then I won't have to worry about you anymore!"

"Jarod! Open the damned door." Miss Parker turned, pushed her wet hair away from her face, stood with her hands on her hips fuming. Jarod had a clear view of her under her drenched tee-shirt.

"Cold are we?" Jarod asked smiling as his eyes were fixed on her breast.

"Hey," she snapped her fingers. "I'm up here."

"Right. Yeah." Jarod pulled her aside and stuck his key into the keyhole and opened the door. Miss Parker stomped right in. "Where the hell is your bathroom?"

"Down the hall on your left. Um, I'll light the fireplace."

"Whatever!"

"Hey, Parker!"

"What?"

"When you come out, can you get me a towel?"

By the time she came out of the bathroom, Jarod was standing in front of the fireplace shirtless trying to dry off.

"He-here," she stammered. She stood watching him wipe himself down and noticed his tattooed arms. His right was of a bobcat and his left was of an ancient chinese character. He didn't seem like a tattooed kind of guy. When did he find time to get tattoos or even time to work out for that matter. He looked like he spent several hours a week at the gym.

Jarod caught her staring and threw a sweatshirt at her and laughed. "Here,

put it on, it'll keep you warm. You can stick your clothes in the dryer." He grabbed his tank top and headed to the kitchen. "Want some beer, Parker?"

He grabbed a couple of beers out of the fridge. He gulped his drink as she joined him.

They were silent for several minutes drinking their beers and stared into the flickering fire. He felt her fingertips on his right arm lightly tracing his tattooed bobcat. He turned to her a bit surprised by her sudden gesture, that it made the hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

"When did you get this?" She spoke in a whisper.

"Three years ago on one of my pretends. It was actually on a dare." He points to his other arm. "And this, two years ago, it means "strength".

"Another dare?"

He shook his head. "I studied ancient chinese in between our little chase games. Just wanted one. And you?" He turned and smiled at her.

"And me what?" She moved away from him.

"Any hidden tattoos on you, Parker?"

She pasted a smile on her face. "Like hell you're going to see it, you little pervert!"

He waited as if she would actually pull up her shirt and show it to him.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You going to show it to me? It's only right I get to see yours, since you saw mines."

"Uh, my shirt. It should be dry by now. I'll get it."

Nervously, Parker quickly stood up, not that she was afraid of him, but, she was afraid of herself for she indeed had wanted to show it to him, all the way hidden in her private little area.